This easy Keto Jalapeño Popper Chicken Skillet is the perfect weeknight meal that makes great leftovers for lunches for the week! Whole chicken thighs are shredded in the skillet, cooked with bacon, jalapeños and served with cauliflower rice for a fun one pan dinner!

What’s not to love about one pan skillet dinners?
Hello easy & less dishes & fast dinner in under 30 minutes.
- tender, juicy chicken thighs shredded straight in the skillet
- soft cream cheese melted with shredded parmesan
- thick cut crispy flavorful bacon
- canned jalapeños (hi super easy over here!)
- frozen bag of cauliflower rice (again, easy peasy)
- chopped caramelized red onion (save a lil fresh for topping at the end cause extra crunchy factor)
- fresh squeeze of lime juice for your cilantro cauli rice situation
- cilantro (is cilantro reallllly ever optional?)

This bacon is cooked in the skillet first and then the chicken is sautéed right in the same pan to get it nice and crispy and perfectly juicy. Plus caramelized red onions. YUM.
Did I mention bacon?
I told you guys about shredding chicken with a handheld kitchen mixer in my instant pot chipotle adobo chicken. Super easy. Super fast. I didn’t do it this time cause I just used two forks to shred right in the pan. But if you are going for speedy then yes, pull out the mixer and shred it up!

Pillowy pockets of cubed cream cheese melted on top of jalapeño chicken (is that the popper part of it?) Either way, this sauce is built on cheese and chicken broth and jalapeños and SO MUCH FLAVOR.

When choosing your bacon, do me a favor and go to Trader Joe’s grocery store and buy the thick cut ends & pieces cause it’s the best bacon! And then when you are cooking your bacon, leave the pieces a little big so you get a nice bite in this keto jalapeño popper chicken skillet!

Like always, I love fresh ingredients. And then I also love easy. So if you can find a mini can of jalapeños (you know the cute 4 oz jars) then go for that! Alternatively, you could add fresh diced jalapeños and decide to keep the seeds in or out based on your kind of hot factor.
When I make a recipe and they tell me to de-seed the jalapeños, I never pay attention, ever, cause I like them there for a reason. Come on, we are working with jalapeños here.

You could totally add white or brown rice here but if you are going for the keto, low carb option, cauliflower it is. To keep this recipe one skillet, we just add the frozen bag of cauliflower right into the skillet to make it a casserole type dish. If you’d rather wash another pot, you can make it in a sauce pan with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Did I also mention leftovers? The best for lunches or dinner the next day. Also freezes quite well!
Yes. I think you are going to love this recipe!
Because we all love less dishes, more flavor and super easy dinner in under 30 minutes!

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @rootandsavor on instagram and follow along on Facebook!
Keto Jalapeno Popper Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs
- 8 oz bacon, slices
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used parmesan)
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 12 oz frozen bag of cauliflower rice
- juice of one lime
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a large cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until desired crispiness. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.
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Add chicken thighs to the skillet with the remaining bacon fat. Cook on medium to high heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked, flipping halfway through. Add chopped red onion at 5 minute mark. Shred chicken in skillet with two forks.
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Add the can of jalapeños, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Cook on low-medium heat until cream cheese is melted. In the same skillet, add the frozen bag of cauliflower rice and 1 cup of chicken broth. Cover and cook until cauliflower rice is tender and heated throughout (about 3-5 minutes).
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Top with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Add sea salt and pepper to taste!